PPA vs MLP billionaire game of thrones

ByeByePoly

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
Fun silly enjoyable recreational game for the masses … greed fest battle currently at pro level.

Does recreational pickleball even need a pro tour? I would think we just need affordable places/facilities to play to match growing number of rec players.

sports.yahoo.com

Inside professional pickleball’s civil war: ‘All hell has broken loose’

A spending war between billionaires battling for control of professional pickleball has thrown the sport's future into chaos.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com


www.thedinkpickleball.com

MLP & PPA Tour Race to Sign Top Pros | What We Know - The Tour Wars

Spending War: Major League Pickleball and the Pro Pickleball Association Tour are battling for the future of professional pickleball.
www.thedinkpickleball.com www.thedinkpickleball.com
 
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optic yellow said:
yeah idk I don't think the potential is there like tennis, not even proof pickle will sustain the covid trendiness balloon
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Seems like you have to separate rec pball (bubble ?) and any pro pickleball. I would still bet rec pball continues to grow … easy to start, social aspect, fun, people are bored.

The same billionaire (Steve Kuhn) that is behind MLP is betting on rec growth continuing … funding converting dead mall space to pickleball courts. It would be interesting to see how many start playing and quit quickly vs sticking with it.

www.cnbc.com

Picklemall is revamping vacant shopping malls into pickleball courts

West Shaw, the CEO of Picklemall, and Steve Kuhn, founder of Major League Pickleball and former hedge fund manager, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the Picklemall concept, plans to grow Picklemall across the country, and more.
www.cnbc.com www.cnbc.com
 
Pickleball will get more interesting with seasoned tennis players joining the tours. Expect different tactics, new shots, fourth shot volleys, BH slices followed in, etc. It will force the current crop of top PB players to improve and expand their games.
 
ByeByePoly said:
PPA and MLP marriage back on … how long to next divorce? :-D

Some MLP teams going for $10 million :eek:

www.cnbc.com

Major League Pickleball merger with PPA is back on after a falling out threatened the deal

The agreement by Major League Pickleball and the PPA to merge follows weeks of drama surrounding the competing leagues.
www.cnbc.com www.cnbc.com
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So, how are they going to score now? Side-out or rally scoring?

PPA scores using SO.
MLP scores using Rally

I hope they settle on rally scoring.
 
Bud said:
So, how are they going to score now? Side-out or rally scoring?

PPA scores using SO.
MLP scores using Rally

I hope they settle on rally scoring.
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PPA will stick with SO, MLP with Rally, maybe run a poll later and pick one.

Just watched the following … pretty decent explanation of the merger. LOL … some pros that got overpaid jumping to MLP are mad at others holding out and getting more overpaid by PPA. Some thought they were done with PPA … one week later nope. I heard Zane in the dink podcast ask the question … “new entity, what’s to stop them from voiding all contracts and starting over”. Oh to be young and in your prime wiffle years. :-D


 
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I'm going to watch MLP Atlanta next week. Atlanta has a team and I was assuming it would be like MLB, NBA, NFL etc where we would be hosting home games against a visiting team, but it is all the Premier and Challenger teams (96 players) playing over 4 days where they start in the morning and finish at night. I'm just going to watch the Challenger matches on Thursday since it is free.
 
happyandbob said:
Yet another reason to hate pickleball (as if we needed another :p ) Even volleyball got rid of side out scoring and they invented the stuff

Besides, there is only one true PPA

There can be only one. I'm betting on the angry meter maids over old clack clackers.
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hater :-D … we need to issue pickleball hater tickets. $76 fine for unhappyandbob.

Now that I think about it … those of us creating that hideous clacking should be fined.
 
treo said:
I'm going to watch MLP Atlanta next week. Atlanta has a team and I was assuming it would be like MLB, NBA, NFL etc where we would be hosting home games against a visiting team, but it is all the Premier and Challenger teams (96 players) playing over 4 days where they start in the morning and finish at night. I'm just going to watch the Challenger matches on Thursday since it is free.
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I heard there might be a couple of pros boycotting Atlanta …
 
Last I heard is everyone is playing. I saw Sam Querrey practicing but not playing Thursday on Challenger level day. Maybe he got moved up?
I've been to two Atlanta PPA events and two APP Atlanta events and the MLP had the best presentation and is comparable to Atlanta Tennis Open. The format is more entertaining. I saw a very pregnant player playing singles in a tiebreaker. I didn't get to see the incident where a player's girlfriend got into a fight with the other team and pushed a player to the ground.
They had all the team's hats and shirts for sale so merchandising is a big part of their business plan.
 
treo said:
Last I heard is everyone is playing. I saw Sam Querrey practicing but not playing Thursday on Challenger level day. Maybe he got moved up?
I've been to two Atlanta PPA events and two APP Atlanta events and the MLP had the best presentation and is comparable to Atlanta Tennis Open. The format is more entertaining. I saw a very pregnant player playing singles in a tiebreaker. I didn't get to see the incident where a player's girlfriend got into a fight with the other team and pushed a player to the ground.
They had all the team's hats and shirts for sale so merchandising is a big part of their business plan.
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Whoa … now that’s a girlfriend. :-D (y)
 
I talked to someone in the know about MLP and he told me that Sam Querrey is not good enough to be signed to a Challenger level team and was dropped after last season.
The former WTA player and current #1 singles player on the APP tour is not signed to any MLP team I presume because her doubles skills are not good enough. On the pro level, it is your doubles skills that will get the big paychecks.
 
treo said:
I talked to someone in the know about MLP and he told me that Sam Querrey is not good enough to be signed to a Challenger level team and was dropped after last season.
The former WTA player and current #1 singles player on the APP tour is not signed to any MLP team I presume because her doubles skills are not good enough. On the pro level, it is your doubles skills that will get the big paychecks.
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I watched some of yesterday’s play … and saw a dream breaker. Looks like that is where the teams have to factor in singles ability.

I think the rally scoring with freeze at 20 is excellent. I wish our open play sessions would switch to that and freeze at 10.
 
treo said:
:-D I talked to someone in the know about MLP and he told me that Sam Querrey is not good enough to be signed to a Challenger level team and was dropped after last season.
The former WTA player and current #1 singles player on the APP tour is not signed to any MLP team I presume because her doubles skills are not good enough. On the pro level, it is your doubles skills that will get the big paychecks.
Click to expand...

btw … I heard James Ignatowich make the comment that it’s unpredictable which tennis players will succeed at pickleball. He said he was a college tennis player with a big serve, big fh, and terrible volley. And yet … he has some of the fastest hands in pro pickleball.

Kitchen volley is not tennis volley … I learned that painfully. :-D 7 months later … my ping pong 1hbh kitchen punch volley/hit is a thing. Weird skill.
 
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Kim Clijsters played the other day at the National Indoor Championships and won silver in mixed open 5.0. Obviously none of the top players were there.

A new rumor of Bryan brothers signing a long term deal. I'm still waiting for a tennis pro that I followed during their career to successfully transfer to pickleball and follow them again, and maybe next year will be the year.
www.thedinkpickleball.com

Tennis' Legendary Bryan Brothers in Serious Talks to Pursue Pro Pickleball

Sources tell The Dink that tennis' most prolific doubles duo of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan, are in negotiations with Major League Pickleball and the Pro Pickleball Association. Considering conversion from tennis to pickleball.
www.thedinkpickleball.com www.thedinkpickleball.com
 
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ByeByePoly said:
btw … I heard James Ignatowich make the comment that it’s unpredictable which tennis players will succeed at pickleball. He said he was a college tennis player with a big serve, big fh, and terrible volley. And yet … he has some of the fastest hands in pro pickleball.

Kitchen volley is not tennis volley … I learned that painfully. :-D 7 months later … my ping pong 1hbh kitchen punch volley/hit is a thing. Weird skill.
Click to expand...

Be able to put the ball away at the kitchen when it's higher than the net is an essential skill at 4.0+. BH/FH hard punch volleys and deep roll volleys must be learned.
 
Bud said:
Be able to put the ball away at the kitchen when it's higher than the net is an essential skill at 4.0+. BH/FH hard punch volleys and deep roll volleys must be learned.
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yep … I came with the overheads and swing volleys … if only that was enough. :-D
 
ByeByePoly said:
shake and bake just ain’t the same with bang and reset :-D

bang to your side
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I have the most success when paired with a partner who is also ultra aggressive. Always looking to drive the third shot, anticipating, always coming in, looking to poach and looking to put away. I've got to learn to adjust better when my partner is slower with a defensive mindset.
 
While pickleball has been gaining in popularity, is there much of an audience for the pro tournaments? I can't imagine 1000 people watching a pickleball match. Seems like online is its best bet. Maybe it's just me, but it sure seems boring to watch -- even matches with the top players.

How do the investors hope to monetize?
 
onehandbh said:
While pickleball has been gaining in popularity, is there much of an audience for the pro tournaments? I can't imagine 1000 people watching a pickleball match. Seems like online is its best bet. Maybe it's just me, but it sure seems boring to watch -- even matches with the top players.

How do the investors hope to monetize?
Click to expand...

Pickleball is as fun to watch as tennis IMO. I enjoy watching club players as most seem to have fun on court. Much more so than tennis. It's a way more relaxed environment without the seriousness and anger many of us witnessed playing tennis.

PB should switch to rally scoring, freeze at 20. That would make the game more exciting and remove the necessity to stack.
 
Bud said:
Pickleball is as fun to watch as tennis IMO. I enjoy watching club players as most seem to have fun on court. Much more so than tennis. It's a way more relaxed environment without the seriousness and anger many of us witnessed playing tennis.

PB should switch to rally scoring, freeze at 20. That would make the game more exciting and remove the necessity to stack.
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Such a contrast between so much genuine rec pickleball joy … and the greed of Big $$$Pickle$$$.

Yes to rally scoring, no to DUPR. I saw USTA ruin a lot of friendships … would hate to see same thing happen to pickleball. Steve Kuhn founder of MLP and DUPR just resigned from MLP … will focus on DUPR among other things like building pickkeball courts in vacant mall space.

I think he is spot on about the joy of pickleball, and dead wrong that DUPR will add to that joy. Yes … the small percentage of rec players interested in tournaments or even rec team matches benefit from weeding out sandbaggers. That said … when I played tennis singles tournaments … there was no ratings … enter the division you wanted to. We actually didn’t have that much sandbagging … but you always have some even with a rating system. For one … some players will be in a rapid improvement phase.

www.facebook.com

15 reactions | Steve Kuhn - Why Pickleball and Why DUPR? | Steve Kuhn, Founder of DUPR and Major League Pickleball, is seen as one of the visionaries of Pickleball. Why did he start DUPR and where does he see the... | By DUPR | Facebook

Steve Kuhn, Founder of DUPR and Major League Pickleball, is seen as one of the visionaries of Pickleball. Why did he start DUPR and where does he see the...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
 
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onehandbh said:
While pickleball has been gaining in popularity, is there much of an audience for the pro tournaments? I can't imagine 1000 people watching a pickleball match. Seems like online is its best bet. Maybe it's just me, but it sure seems boring to watch -- even matches with the top players.
How do the investors hope to monetize?
Click to expand...
It's a terrible watch. Being a fun rec game doesn't mean it will make a good pro sport. As for the investors, well, most of them are kinda dumb. I know, I know, so many people seem to think that anyone with money is automatically smart, but that's not always the case. Aside from the various pro athletes that have invested (Kygrios, Serena, Durant...) who didn't become wealthy thanks to their business acumen, some of the other people seem to be convinced that investing in pro-sports has an enormous upside. And in some cases it does, but Pickleball ain't it. They either don't realize this, or still think the risk is worth the possible (if highly unlikely) reward.
 
robyrolfo said:
It's a terrible watch. Being a fun rec game doesn't mean it will make a good pro sport. As for the investors, well, most of them are kinda dumb. I know, I know, so many people seem to think that anyone with money is automatically smart, but that's not always the case. Aside from the various pro athletes that have invested (Kygrios, Serena, Durant...) who didn't become wealthy thanks to their business acumen, some of the other people seem to be convinced that investing in pro-sports has an enormous upside. And in some cases it does, but Pickleball ain't it. They either don't realize this, or still think the risk is worth the possible (if highly unlikely) reward.
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I know of a way that pickleball can instantly increase their online and live viewership numbers.

Just need a few simple modification to their doubles format. Turn it into a hybrid of Naked Attraction and Pickleball.

1) First, make it mixed doubles. No clothing allowed.
2) Your mixed partner is chosen in a format sort of like the tv show "Naked Attraction". But instead of the player getting to pick their partner, the online and in-person audience votes to pick the partner. Start off with 5 people and slowly narrow down and show a different body part in each voting round.

The partner selection is crucial. A partner that is very skilled at pickleball can help in the game play, but a very attractive player can also distract the opponents.
 
onehandbh said:
I know of a way that pickleball can instantly increase their online and live viewership numbers.

Just need a few simple modification to their doubles format. Turn it into a hybrid of Naked Attraction and Pickleball.

1) First, make it mixed doubles. No clothing allowed.
2) Your mixed partner is chosen in a format sort of like the tv show "Naked Attraction". But instead of the player getting to pick their partner, the online and in-person audience votes to pick the partner. Start off with 5 people and slowly narrow down and show a different body part in each voting round.

The partner selection is crucial. A partner that is very skilled at pickleball can help in the game play, but a very attractive player can also distract the opponents.
Click to expand...

wow … you and @travlerajm are going to bond

pickleballpickleandballs … high levels will involve paddle and pickle lag

I can never remember to hit my speedups to right shoulder ... pretty sure I would remember right breast
 
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